


Of Fruit Flies and Rats

by Rat_Juice



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Corvo is on a mission, Daud feels guilty, Daud is like a dad to the whalers, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual kissing, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Torture, Low Chaos Corvo Attano, Low Chaos Daud (Dishonored), M/M, Mentions of Jessamine's death, Slow Burn, for things not so appropriate, his whalers love him regardless of the decisions he makes, not rlly canonically accurate but woo lets go, runes and bonecharms, using the outsider's gift
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-06-03 10:09:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19461799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rat_Juice/pseuds/Rat_Juice
Summary: "Your greatest enemy will soon become your closest ally. Your actions will bring conflict, but your heart will lead you elsewhere. That is all I will be sharing with you."A couple of chapters about how Corvo and Daud come together after a long history of hatred and violence in order to make things right.





	1. The Leviathan

White noise. Corvo opened his eyes and he was in the void. A broken, stone path was laid out before him, bricks flying freely as the sound of whales could be heard from all around. He leaned over the path, looking down as one of the great giants broke the surface of a foggy cloud, it's loud groan filling the void with a sense of grief. 

He felt a pang of sympathy for the creature. It's song was full of what only he understood to be sadness. A symphony of of loud, sorrowful wails from the other creatures could be heard in response, but there were all too distant for him to see. Perhaps the whale would find his friends eventually, corvo hoped. 

Fragments of his past floated around him like decorations, gulping as he recalled the events. He could spot the one that started it all from a mile away, Daud's blade plunging straight through his once-beloved Jessamine's chest as he watch helplessly merely feet away, young Lady Emily behind it all with a terrified expression as she witnessed her mother's assassination. It felt like yesterday when he had Jessamine's blood on his hands, holding her as she took her last, shaking breath. Corvo looked away from the morbid monument. He didn't need to be reminded.

Corvo looked down at his hands, feeling his mark glow with a great uneasiness as something approached, something he should have dreaded greatly- but had grown much too used to seeing by now. The Leviathan itself.   
A flurry of darkness flickered in front of him, making Corvo flinch ever-so-slightly as the outsider made his appearance. The floating figure started down at him with blackened eyes, arms crossed as he began to speak. 

"Corvo, my friend." 

"Outsider." He greeted. 

The figure stared down at him, his gaze everlastingly eerie. It sent a chill down Corvo's spine. He was as thin and creepy as ever.

"You've overcome many interesting obstacles during the time I have been watching you. You've spared those who weren't worthy of your charity, but what for?" 

The Outsider re-positioned his arms, now holding one hand up while the other laid in the crook of his elbow. 

"Is it for the safety of the empress? Or do you fear your own title to be dampened with murder?" 

Corvo listened. 

"Perhaps you see potential in people who by no means deserve your acts of clarity." 

It was true. Everyone he's spared, he did it out of his own heart. He hadn't forgiven them, though. Especially not Daud. It took every ounce of his strength not to drag his blade across the other's neck- but he didn't. He didn't because the man still had something to live for, he could see it. The people who followed him, who he treated as his own, they needed him. Corvo didn't want to take that away from them.

"Either way, you cannot avoid the dark path that is soon to come."

Corvo perked up at that. 

"Your greatest enemy will soon become your closest ally. Your actions will bring conflict, but your heart will lead you elsewhere. That is all I will be sharing with you." 

A faint humming could be heard as the Outsider began to disappear, darkness cloaking them both. 

"Goodbye, Corvo."


	2. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corvo questions whether or not the outsider was giving him a warning, meanwhile Emily is awake.

_Your greatest enemy will soon become your closest ally. Your actions will bring conflict, but your heart will lead you elsewhere._

What was it all supposed to mean? Corvo tapped his pen against the paper, staring down at the Outsider's quote. He had awoken not too long ago to the sound of thunder. Fearing he would not be able to vividly remember the Outsider's sayings word by word, he wrote them down. He had been doing so for a while now, filling the pages with both encounters he had with the outsider and other mysterious people.

He eventually flipped the journal over, shutting it as the rain pattered heavily against his window from the outside. He watched as thousands of small droplets struck and dripped down the two great glass panels, the rolling of thunder and bright flashes of lightning causing a slight wave of comfort to wash over him. Storms always brought him to ease, it reminded him of a time when things were simpler and he was but a child, watching from his the inside as a great cloud passed up above. 

If only he could relive those times. 

Snapping out of his trance, Corvo stood from the desk and blew out the candlelight before slowly making his way back over to his bed. He laid down with a groan, gingerly placing his head against only the softest pillow he owned for comfort; sleep was never that simple, though. 

He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours as thoughts both confusing and worrisome plagued his mind. What did the outsider mean by that, and what was going to happen to him this time? Why wouldn't that damned God just tell him for once? He snorted at the thought of that. That was beyond naive, believing the outsider would just simply tell him something. The words spoken by that man were never as easy to decipher as one would think. Maybe he didn't have to worry about this - or maybe he did? 

Corvo buried his face into the pillow, mumbling a string of muffled curses through the fabric. He only turned when he heard the creaking of a door, something he wouldn't have noticed had it not been for his slight paranoia. Squinting his eyes, he was barely able to make out the shape of a young girl standing in the doorway. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he saw who it was.

"Emily.." He muttered out, turning his head in order to look in her direction. She wore a worried look, tiny hands clutching onto the door frame as she stared in his direction with frightened eyes. Corvo blinked, trying to fight off how exhausted he felt in order to sit up properly. 

"Are you alright?" He kept himself covered by the blanket, pulling it over his bare chest as the empress seemed to sniffle. 

"The thunder is too loud, Corvo. I can't sleep." 

Her voice was soft, mixed with innocence and fear. Somehow, despite all that he's been through and all that he's done, it was the empress' very tone that pulled at the strings of his heart the hardest. Though she may not have been his by blood, he would never let that get in the way of her being his responsibility, nor would he ever forgive himself if something were to happen to her; he wasn't just her Lord Protector, after all. That is why he didn't usher her out when she tip-toed inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind herself. 

Emily stopped once she reached the edge of his bed, raising a tiny hand in order to play with the corner of a blanket. He took one look in her eyes and knew exactly what she was about to ask. Corvo just rubbed his eyes. 

"Would you like to stay in here until the storm passes, young empress?" He asked, understanding of the fear she had. It wasn't all that uncommon for children to be frightened of storms, even if he enjoyed them at her age. 

"Yes.." Her response was quiet, but heard. Corvo watched as she crawled up onto the edge of his mattress, laying her head pitifully against a wad of blanket. Corvo sighed. 

"Here," He whispered, grabbing a spare pillow he had next to him and handing it over to the young girl. She took it, tiny hands happily gripping onto the plush material. She positioned the pillow, laying her head down at the foot of his bed.

"Is that better?" He asked, yawning. 

"Mhm," Emily smiled, "Thank you, Corvo." 

Thunder continued to roll ahead and Emily squirmed. He just simply nodded, laying back down and shutting his eyes. 

* * *

Corvo wasn't sure when he had drifted off to sleep, but it was short lived judging by how exhausted he felt by the morning. He awoke to the sensation of something poking his cheek, eyes darting open only to see Emily inches away from his face squinting her eyes. She looked intrigued with something, her brows furrowed just slightly. Her eyes widened at Corvo's sudden awakening, but her surprised expression was quickly replaced with that of glee. 

"You're awake!" Her smile was wide, hands gripping onto his shoulders as he groaned. She shook him lightly. "Come on, Corvo. You have to get up!" 

"I am.. What time is it?" 

Corvo reluctantly listened to her command, sitting up and watching as the young girl ran to the other side of the room. 

"Early morning, Callista said breakfast will be ready in an hour!" 

Oh, great. Despite not exactly wanting to eat at such an early hour, he could never turn down the food they served from the kitchen. Whoever the cook was on Saturdays, their food was something that he genuinely enjoyed, better than the excruciating amount of jellied eels he's swallowed down in his past in order to satisfy his hunger. 

"I'll leave you alone so you can get ready." Emily danced around the door frame, grabbing onto the handle and pulling it halfway shut as she turned her head back at the lord protector. "I'll see you in ten minutes, Corvo!" 

With that, she pulled the door shut, leaving him in the room alone. 

"Ten minutes.." He mumbled to himself, shaking his head with a slight smile. As cute as she could be, she still had that empress side to her. He wouldn't dare to show himself any later than that, knowing well that she would come up with some sort of silly punishment for running late. She was indeed always eager to flaunt her power in childish ways, despite being mature at heart. 

Corvo dressed himself, buttoning up his shirt and fastening a belt, before putting on his coat. He made sure his weapons were easily accessible, just in case he ran into trouble. He played with the handle of his blade, watching as the sunlight streaking in through his curtains reflected off of the cool metal and onto the wall. 

The day was still new and after breakfast, before her lessons, Emily had requested to play in the garden. Corvo had trouble saying no to her puppy dog eyes. 

Watching as Emily picked a bouquet of flowers from the bushes, Corvo ignored the headache he felt brought on by the blistering sunlight. He was hoping it would be cloudy for the next couple of days, just so he could escape the terrible burning he felt in his eyes. Perhaps it was because he was overtired? He faintly recalled Piero mentioning something about how a lack of sleep can make you sensitive to light, but maybe he was just bullshitting for the sake of their conversation. Corvo wouldn't be surprised. His presence often caused others to feel a bit uneasy, especially with so much blood on his hands.. blood he wished he hadn't needed to spill in the first place. 

He crossed his arms. Emily was weaving together the stems of the flowers, trying to remember the patterns Callista had taught her in order to create a flower crown. His eyes began to wander the garden.

There was a small patch of grass growing atop a slab of stone, something he wouldn't become so distracted by had it not been for the yellow flowers growing among it. It seemed even plants found their ways around hardships, having found a way to thrive peacefully despite the almost impossible surface it had adhered itself to. 

That moment was short lived however as Emily approached him, wearing a disappointed look on her face as she showed him the broken bundle of flowers grasped tightly in both hands. 

"Corvo, I don't remember how to do this.."

He pitied the young girl, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with her. 

"I'm sure if you ask Callista, she will show you how." Emily smiled at that. 

"- After your lessons." Corvo added. 

Emily's smile fell. "Aw, but Corvo.. there's still time left before then, isn't there?" 

"We're cutting it rather close, don't you think?" He said with a raised brow. 

"Fine.." She responded, releasing the bundle of flowers and watching as they fell to the ground. Corvo held out a hand, which she took with an exaggerated amount of dissatisfaction.

Callista was happy to see the two of them, taking Emily away almost immediately after greeting him for her lessons. Corvo had about an hour to kill before he needed to do anything important and he wasn't about to spend it waiting around, not while he still had sleep to catch up on. 

Corvo leaned against the wall outside of where Emily was, his arms crossed as he shut his eyes. He could have fallen asleep right then and there, had it not been for the sound of someone approaching. Corvo reluctantly opened his eyes, his own fatigue making them droop just slightly. 

"Lord Protector Corvo." 

"Yes?" He sighed. 

The man cleared his throat, placing both hands behind his back. "I come bearing news." 

He hummed at that, slightly curious about what the other had to say. "Go on."

"There have been sightings of the infamous Slackjaw near the tower. Word has gone around that he is looking for you." 

"Word wouldn't have gone around if he was really looking for me, Slackjaw is better at laying low than one would assume." He stated, "It's most likely just a rumor started by children who have nothing better to do other than to make people question my authority."

Corvo could feel the doubt that radiated off of the officer, blinking once as he kept a level eye contact with the man until he finally glanced sideways, seeming to give up with the small staring contest they had. Corvo kept his glare, watching as the officer scratched the back of his head. 

"Very well, lord protector." The man said in defeat, bowing down and holding a hand over his chest. 

"You are dismissed." 

The officer nodded, turning on his heels and walking respectfully down the hall opposite of him. Corvo watched as he disappeared around the corner, before turning towards a window. 

He pulled back the curtains, fiddling with the lock before pulling open both doors. A cool breeze carried itself inside, flowing freely under and around the collar of his coat. Corvo looked both ways, before stepping up onto the window sill. He squatted, using his dark vision in order to survey the area surrounding the building while still keeping an ear out for any passing officers.

The coast was clear. 

He looked down, eyeing the perimeter one last time before raising his hand and squeezing. The mark glowed and he shot forward, blinking onto a rooftop that laid not so far away. 

He kept low, crouching as he made his way silently across the rooftop before pulling himself up onto a balcony. 

"Did you hear something?" The sound of an officer's voice almost made Corvo curse out loud, until he remembered his current position. Even if he did get caught - they couldn't do shit, not while he was the lord protector and Emily was the empress. 

He just smiled, watching as the officers cautiously scanned the area before reaching up and grabbing onto a ledge. He pulled himself up, reaching the very top of the structure with a slight groan. 

He looked over the edge, staring down at what he knew wasn't an empty house. The windows were broken, some even carelessly left ajar with the glass still intact. Pieces of scrap metal held the roof together, nailed down in a not-so-attractive manor as to help keep the rainwater out. Corvo knew what was inside, or rather who. 

The Bottle Street Gang had spread out since Emily had taken her throne and Slackjaw was in hiding, as per usual. He didn't bother with using the watch to uncover the man and his gang, mostly because he already knew how and where to find him on his own. That, and he had proved to be useful in the past. Slackjaw may be sly, but not sly enough to keep out from under Corvo's nose. He knew exactly where to look and it was all thanks to the sound of a Bottle Street member gawking out loud. 

"I mean, it's ridiculous! I do everythin' for this lady and she still turns me down!" 

The conversation was loud enough for him to hear through the broken windows, but still slightly muffled by the walls. Corvo blinked, his mark glowing as he used the Outsider's gift in order to see on the other side of the walls. One man was busy walking down a small hallway while the other two sat leaned up against a wall, smoking their cigars while arguing. 

"Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn't expect a married woman to drop to her knees for you so quickly!" 

The other gang member scoffed, "Oh, shut it! She'll realize what she's missing out on soon enough."

"Oh yeah, and what is she missing out on? A full three inches?" His friend sneered. 

Corvo snickered at that. 

"Hey, you shut you mouth!" The man turned, pointing his cigar angrily at the other. 

The third gangster swiveled around, waving a bent crowbar in frustration at the other men. "Will you two keep quiet?! Slackjaw gave us one job, to keep an eye out for that royal protector motherfucker!" 

One of them blew a cloud of smoke, rolling his eyes. "Oh, he's probably watching us right now. You know how sneaky that son of a bitch can be." 

"- and do you want him hearing you two argue about prick sizes?" The crowbar menace butted in. 

"Uh.." The gangster put a hand under his chin, playing with his beard. "Not exactly." 

"That's what I thought." The gangster with a crowbar gave the others a scornful look, before turning to look out the window. 

Corvo blinked on top of the structure, looking down through a hole in the roof and watching as a gang member passed through the hall. He narrowed his eyes, observing the area as the gangster disappeared to the other end of the room before raising his glowing fist and blinking downwards. He hid around the corner of the small hallway, picking up a small piece of debris from the floor and squeezing it in his palm. 

He tossed it not so far away from where he was standing, watching as it hit the floor with a thud. 

"Hey, did you hear that?" One gangster questioned. 

"Eh, it was probably just some rats." Another remarked. 

"I'm gonna go take a look." The crowbar menace declared. Corvo watched through dark vision as the man entered the hallway, unknowingly creeping towards him along the old wooden floor before abruptly stopping to stomp on a rat. The small creature burst underneath his boot, bones crunching like small sticks. "Little bastard."

The gangster wiped his boot on an old, torn-up carpet before pressing towards, holding his crowbar in both hands with a scowl.

Corvo pressed himself tightly against the wall, waiting just mere seconds until the time was right and he held out his foot, tripping the gangster once he reached the corner. The man lost his balance with a startled shout, falling face-first onto the floor while still gripping onto his crowbar. 

The other two gangsters, unable to see Corvo, burst out into laughter as their friend laid dazed on the ground. 

The fallen gangster looked sideways, mumbling a string of curses as he finally noticed Corvo. He went to say something, before the lord protector's boot collided with his face, nearly knocking him unconscious.

The other two immediately ceased their laughter once they noticed what was happening and picked up their weapons, storming angrily towards Corvo with sharpened blades. "- Hey!" 

Corvo was quick to respond, crossbow already in hand as he loaded a sleeping bolt and aimed upwards. He pulled the trigger and watched as the green bolt impaled itself into the arm of a gangster, who immediately dropped to the floor with a loud thud. Raising his hand, he quickly blinked behind the remaining gangster and pulled him into a choke hold. The man struggled for a couple of seconds, but quickly went limp in his arms. He laid the unconscious man down onto the floor, walking up next to and kneeling beside the man he had tripped. 

"So, I've noticed that not all of you prefer to frequent the Distillery District." Corvo began. 

"Corvo- how about we make a deal or something, then forget this whole mess ever happened? Huh?" The gangster quickly suggested, not wanting to suffer whatever the lord protector had in store. 

Corvo jshook his head in response. "How about no."

"- What do you want, then?" The man hissed, getting up onto his elbows. "I thought you tolerated the Bottle Street Gang or somethin'? What happened?"

"I tolerate your gang when you keep my name out of your mouth on the street." Corvo blatantly stated. "Now," 

The lord protector leaned down, grabbing the other by the collar of the shirt and pulling him close. 

"You're lucky I haven't plunged my blade into each of your guts, yet." He whispered. 

"Yeah-?" The gangster gulped.

"Indeed." He confirmed, using his free hand to unfold his blade and hold it up to the man's neck. "Tell me where Slackjaw is hiding." 

Corvo placed the weapon firmly against his throat, watching as sweat from the horrified man dripped down the cool metal of his blade and onto the floor. 

"Outsider's eyes - he's downstairs, you jackass!" 

"Downstairs?" Corvo repeated, confused.

"Yes! Slackjaw was expecting you would show, for fuck's sake! We were just keeping an eye out!"

Corvo moved his blade back, still keeping it a couple of inches away from the man's throat. The look in his eyes was that of fear and frustration, but not that of a liar's. He then folded his blade and stood. Normally he would have thanked him, but he saw no need to. Sparing his life should have been enough.

"You think I'm lyin?" The gangster breathed, "Take a look for yourself!"

Narrowing his eyes at the quivering man, Corvo's mark began to glow as he slowly blinked his eyes. He stared down at the floor, able to see through and make out the outline of a broadly-shaped man. That man, who he had figured was Slackjaw due to his uncanny appearance, seemed to be busy with writing at a desk.

Despite it being folded, Corvo kept his blade in hand, making his way towards the broken flight of stairs and quietly descending them.

The last step creaked, which had alerted Slackjaw from his current task. The man looked up from his work, offering Corvo a wide smile, though he didn't return it.   
  
"Corvo! Thought I hear you fumblin' around up there with a couple of my guys." He stood from his desk, walking towards the assassin with crossed arms. "How goes it, my old friend?"

"I'm not here to make conversation, Slackjaw." Corvo asserted, assuming by the other's stature that he didn't want any conflict. He quietly sheathed his blade, turning back to the man with cautious eyes.

"You're actin' rather finicky, don't you think?" He gave a hearty laugh, going to pat his shoulder. Corvo allowed for it, making note of the stench of whiskey radiating off of the other. His whole body moved with each, strong pat.

"Word has it on the street you wanted to see me," He rubbed his now-aching shoulder. "Why is that?"

Slackjaw's eyes widened for a moment, before he let out an apologetic sigh. "Oh, my guys must have been gossipin' around. I'm sorry about that, Corvo."

Corvo stood there, arms crossed with an unamused expression.

"Sorry must not be enough, then, huh?" The man muttered. "Well, I'm sure it'll blow over soon anyways."

"Just tell me what you need.." The lord protector sighed.

"Well," he began. "I've got an important errand I need you to run, Corvo. I would do it myself, but I don't know the area as well as you do."

That caught his attention. Corvo raised a brow, crossing his arms as he waited for Slackjaw to continue on. He knew Dunwall like the back of his hand, despite initially not wanting to. What happened to him and the things he went through in order to restore power was very unfortunate, but at least he learned the area quite well in the process. That was about the only good thing that came out of the whole mess, aside from meeting a man named Samuel Beechworth.

"A lil' birdie told me that Daud is lookin' for me, paid by some scumbag for my head. I-"

"No." Corvo immediately interrupted with a scowl. "I don't want to have anything to do with this."

"-Let me finish, you might like how this one ends." Slackjaw reassured, but the lord protector didn't seem to agree. He just shook his head, then thought about it for a moment, before uttering out a small 'continue' with his lips.

"One of my guys spotted a couple of his whalers out by the ol' Flooded District. I'm surprised he made it back to tell, but I'm also a bit uneasy that they may have followed him."

"That explains why you're here." Corvo noted out loud, tilting his head just slightly with an unreadable expression. He found it strange that Daud would return, even if the Flooded District is still partially uninhabited and hidden away. There had to have been a better reason for his sudden appearance back in Dunwall, especially since his immediate departure from Dunwall after their fight. Sure, he spared his life, but that didn't mean he was still welcomed to the area.

Slackjaw shrugged, "Well, I can never be too careful."

"What did you plan on having me do about this?" The assassin quickly questioned, tapping his fingers against the crook of his elbow.

"Well, I was hoping you could take him out - and you know, its a good chance to get some revenge after what he did to you." Corvo would have excused his ignorance to he and Daud's relationship had it not been for that last part. He just grimaced, looking away.

"Daud deserves death, but not by my hands." It was obvious by Slackjaw's dumbfounded expression that he had expected a different answer. He had the urge to say more, but kept his mouth shut.

"Why not, though?" The gangster questioned, holding out a hand. "The man absolutely fucked ya' over, and he's about to do the same to me."

He shook his head, almost sympathetic about the other's situation. "I already said, Slackjaw, I want nothing to do with this-"

"Oh, but you do!" Corvo didn't seem convinced. "You see, I know you're not interested in whatever coin I have to offer, but maybe you'd be interested in saving my life?"

Corvo sighed.

"-and a couple of those bone charms you collect?"

Well, that certainly added to their deal quite a bit. Corvo turned back to the other man, pursing his lips just slightly as he waited for him to further sweeten the deal. Slackjaw raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're actually considering this now, just because I added some carved-up pieces of whale bone?"

That earned a slight shrug from Corvo. "I don't do these sorts of things for free, you'll have to add a little more than that if you really want me to kill the man."

Slackjaw laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Well then, my friend, how about all of the beautiful women you could dream of?"

He sighed, "How about you move keep yourself away from Dunwall Tower for good?"

"Ready to send me away that fast, huh?" Slackjaw joked, "That sounds like a deal to me."

"Then we'll shake on it." Corvo offered his hand, which the other man took graciously. They shook once, before the royal protector let go. "Then it's final. I'll kill Daud and you leave the city alone." 

"You want the ladies, too? I know some ones who are masters at showing a good time." Slackjaw asked, crossing his arms once more. Corvo shook his head, "No, but I'll take the bone charms."


End file.
